Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-09-23
ALLAN QUARTERNAIp.
OR
4 BROWNING CITY.
CHAPTER 1x.-1STo TIE unknown

MackenZies, ana proceed upon our way at
dawn on the morrow. Nothing more had
been seen or heard of the Nasal; and save
for spear or two which had been over
looked, and was rusting in the grass, and
n few empty cartridges where we had
stood outside the wall, it would have been
difficult to tell that the old cattle kraal at
the foot Of the slope had been the scene Of
so desperate struggle. Mackenzie was,
thanks chiefly TO his being so temperate a
man, rapidly recovering from his wound,
and could get about on pair Of crutches;
and as for the other wounded men, one
had died of gangrene, and the rest were in
a fair way TO recovery. Mr.. MackenZe's
caravan of men had also returned from the
coast, so that Che station was now amply
garrisoned.
Under these circumstances, we conclud-
ed, warm and pressing as were the invita-
tons for US TO stay, that it was time to
move on, first TO Mount Kenia, and thence
into the unknown in search Of the myster
ions white race which we had set our
hearts on discovering. This time we were
going to progress by means of the humble
but useful donkey, Of which we had col
lected no less than a dozen, to carry our
goods and chattels. and, il necessary, our.
selves We had now but two Wakwafis
left for servants, and found 1t quite i'm
possible to get other natives to venture
with us into the unknown parts we pro
posed 10 explore; and small blame to them.
After all, as Mr.. Mackenzie said, 1t was
odd that three men, each OF whom pos
sessed many Of those things that are sup
posed TO make life worth living. health,
sufficient means, and position etc, should
of their own pleasure start out upon Wild
goose chase, from which the chances were
they never would return But then that
Is what Englishmen are, Adventures to
the backbone; and all our magnificent mus
ter-roll Of colonies, each Of which Will in
time become great nation, testify TO the
extraordinary value Of the spirit of adYen-
ture, which at first sight looks like u mild
form Of lunacy. "Adyenturer'-he who
goes ont TO meet whatever may come.
Well, TINT is what we all do in the world,
one way or another; and, speaking for my
self am proud OF the title, because 1t i'm
plies n brave heart and trust in Provi
dcnce. Besides, when many and many a
noted Crusus, at whose feet the people
worship, and many and many n time snrv-
ing and word coming politician arc for
gotten, the names Of those grand hearted
old advcunTcrs. who have made England
what she Is, WIN he remembered and taught
with love and pride tolittle children whose
spirits yet sluuber in the womb of unshap-
Gd centuries. Not that we three can eX-
pect to he numbered with such as these,
yet hive we done something enough per
haps, To throw garment over the naked
ness of our folly.
That evening whilst we were sitting on
the voranda, smoking pipe before turning
In, who should come up to us but Alphonse,
and, with n magnificent bow, announced
his wish for an interview. Being requested
to fire away, he explained ut some length
that he was anxious to attach himself to
our party-a statement that nstOnished me
not little, knowing what n coward the
little man was. The reason, however, soon
appeared. Mr.. Mackenzie was going down
to the coaGt and thence ON to England.
Now, If hc went down country, Alphonse
was persuaded that he would be seized,
eXtraditcd sent TO France, and guillotined,
isis was the idea that haunted him, as
King Charles head haunted Mr.. Dick, and
he brooded over il till his imagination ex-
aggerated the danger ten times. As n mat
ter OF fact, the probability IL that his of
Tense against the laws of his country had
long ago been forgotten, and that he would
have been allowed to pass unmolested any
where, except In France; but he could not
be got To sec this. Constitutional coward
ns tho little man was, he infinitely pre-
fcrred to face the certain hardships and
great risks and dangers of such an cNpe-
dition rs ours, than To expose himself, not
withstanding his intense longing for his
native lnud, to the possible scrutiny of n
police onicer-whlch is. after all, only an
other eXomplihcatiOn of the truth that to
the majority of men, n far off foresccn dan
ger, however Ehadowy, is much more ter
fiblo than the most serious present emerg
ency. After listening To what he had to
say, we consulted among ourselves, and
finally agreed with MIR Mackcnzc's
knowledge and consent, to accept his offer.
To begin with, we were very short handed,
aud Alphonsc was n quick, active fellow,
who could turn his hand To- anything, and
co0k-ah, he could cOokI ] believe that
he would have made a palatable dish of
those CATERS of his heroic grandfather
which he was 50 fond of talking about.
Then lie was good -tempcred little man,
and merry as a monkey, whilst his pomp-
ous, vain glorious talk was II source of in
finite amusement to us; and what IL more
ib AtNtt bhAt lllUllttt vi course, MS nc
ing so pronounced n coward w,a a great
drawback to him; but now that we knew
HIS weakness we could more or less guard
against II. SO, after warning him of the
undoubtod risks no was exposing himself
to, we told him that we would accept hts
offer on condition that he would promise
implicit obedience 10 our orders We al
80 promised 10 give him wages at the rate
of tn IL.
return to civilized country to receive
them. To all OF this he agreed with alacrIty,
md retired to write letter to HIS Annette,
which Mr.. Mackenzie promised to post
when he got down country. lie read it to
us afterward, Sir Henry translating and a
wonderful composition it was l am suro
the depth of his devotion and the narration
of his sutferlngs in barbarous country,
"far. far from thee, Annette for whose
adored sake endure such SORROW" ought
" have touched the feelings of the stoniest-
hearted shambermaid
Well, the morrow came, and by seven
o'clock the doukeys were all loaded. and
the time of parting was ut hand. 1t was a
melancholy business, especially saying
good bye to dear little Flo-sie. She and
were great friends and often used to have
lllks INketner-but her nerves hAt never
got over the shock Of that awful night
when she lay in the power of those blood
thirsty Nasal "Oh. Mr.. Quartcrmuin,"
she cried. throwing her arms round my
neck and bursting into tears, Il can't bear
to say goodbye to you. | wonder when
we shall meet agains'
Il don't know, my dear little girl"
said, Il am at one end Of life and you are
at the other. | have but a short time be.
fore me ut best and most things lie in the
past, but | hope that for you there are
many long and happy years, and every.
thing lies in the future. by and by you
will grow into a beautiful woman, little
FloSsic, and all this wild life will be like q
tar-otf dream to You; but hope even il VIC
never do meet again, that you will think
OF your old friend, and remember what ]
say 70 you now. Always try to be good,
my dear, and TO do what is right, rather
than what happens 10 be pleasant, for in
the end, whatever sneering people may
say, what is good and what is happy are
the same BE uuseltish, and whenever YOU
can, give . helping hand TO others-for the
world is full of suffering my dear, and to
alleviate it is tho noblest end that we can
set before us. II you 10 that, you will be-
come a sweet and God-fearirsy woman, and
make many peoples lives a little brighter,
and then You VIII not have lived rs SO many
OF your sex do, in vain. And now l have
given you lot Of old-fashioned advice, and